New 'Iron Man' becomes biggest and boldest yet

Published: Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 4:12 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 4:12 p.m.

When we last saw Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), he had just emerged from a portal to another dimension after saving New York from an alien threat in Joss Whedon's "The Avengers."

Facts

Want to See?

• 'Iron Man' is directed by Shane Black and stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Ben Kingsley, Jon Favreau and James Badge Dale. It is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout and brief suggestive content.• It is rated three stars out of four.• Opens Friday in theaters everywhere.• Check out the movie news link under Entertainment at www.the-dispatch.com for show times and more information.

Because of this trauma, he's a changed man in Shane Black's "Iron Man 3," which picks up Stark's story where Whedon left off. While Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) runs his company, Stark buries himself in his work, tinkering with his endless array of Iron Man suits. His old pal, James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), is carrying out America's missions at home and abroad as Iron Patriot, a kinder, gentler rebrand of his old moniker, War Machine. But the world is a much darker place after the events of "The Avengers."

A terrorist called The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) has been indiscriminately bombing civilian targets in an effort to teach an insane lesson to the American people. But despite his public gloating over his terrorist activities, the methods of his madness remain unknown, with authorities unable to uncover any trace of the explosives that were used. When The Mandarin's attacks hit close to home, it becomes a personal vendetta for Stark, who sets out to put a stop to his evil once and for all. But in doing so, he uncovers a plot much bigger than he could have possibly imagined, one that will put not only his life, but the life of everyone he loves, in danger.

Things are a bit different in the world of Iron Man for this third outing (fourth if you count "The Avengers.") Director Jon Favreau has been replaced by Black, although Favreau still appears as Stark's faithful former bodyguard, Hogan. The biggest change, however, is the tone.

"Iron Man 3" is a much darker film than its predecessors, without sacrificing the humor we have come to expect from the series. While not quite as dark as Christopher Nolan's "Batman" films, Black brings something grittier to the table that is very interesting. It is especially timely coming out so close to the Boston bombings, as it deals very explicitly with a new form of terrorism in a world accustomed to real-life villains with larger than life presences — Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi, etc.

Black takes us away from the "Rock 'em, Sock 'em" robots aesthetic of the first two "Iron Man" films and gives us something that is a bit more of a battle of the minds. Black also stages some of the series' most bruising action sequences, topping anything we've seen in the last two films and rivaling the large-scale destruction of "The Avengers." While Stark's mental state after the events at that film remain underdeveloped (they're more of a convenient plot point than character development), the film manages to portray a world of uncertainty and angst while still delivering something fun and entertaining.

This is biggest, boldest "Iron Man" yet. Marvel has kicked off Phase II of its Avengers films in grand fashion. It has everything the fans could want, and more, reminding us all why, out of all the Avengers, Iron Man remains on top.

Matthew Lucas, a former Davidson County resident, studied theater and film studies at Appalachian State University. He now resides in Banner Elk and has a blog where he posts movie news, reviews and commentary at www.fromthefrontrow.net.

<p>When we last saw Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), he had just emerged from a portal to another dimension after saving New York from an alien threat in Joss Whedon's "The Avengers."</p><p>Because of this trauma, he's a changed man in Shane Black's "Iron Man 3," which picks up Stark's story where Whedon left off. While Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) runs his company, Stark buries himself in his work, tinkering with his endless array of Iron Man suits. His old pal, James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), is carrying out America's missions at home and abroad as Iron Patriot, a kinder, gentler rebrand of his old moniker, War Machine. But the world is a much darker place after the events of "The Avengers." </p><p>A terrorist called The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) has been indiscriminately bombing civilian targets in an effort to teach an insane lesson to the American people. But despite his public gloating over his terrorist activities, the methods of his madness remain unknown, with authorities unable to uncover any trace of the explosives that were used. When The Mandarin's attacks hit close to home, it becomes a personal vendetta for Stark, who sets out to put a stop to his evil once and for all. But in doing so, he uncovers a plot much bigger than he could have possibly imagined, one that will put not only his life, but the life of everyone he loves, in danger.</p><p>Things are a bit different in the world of Iron Man for this third outing (fourth if you count "The Avengers.") Director Jon Favreau has been replaced by Black, although Favreau still appears as Stark's faithful former bodyguard, Hogan. The biggest change, however, is the tone.</p><p>"Iron Man 3" is a much darker film than its predecessors, without sacrificing the humor we have come to expect from the series. While not quite as dark as Christopher Nolan's "Batman" films, Black brings something grittier to the table that is very interesting. It is especially timely coming out so close to the Boston bombings, as it deals very explicitly with a new form of terrorism in a world accustomed to real-life villains with larger than life presences — Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi, etc. </p><p>Black takes us away from the "Rock 'em, Sock 'em" robots aesthetic of the first two "Iron Man" films and gives us something that is a bit more of a battle of the minds. Black also stages some of the series' most bruising action sequences, topping anything we've seen in the last two films and rivaling the large-scale destruction of "The Avengers." While Stark's mental state after the events at that film remain underdeveloped (they're more of a convenient plot point than character development), the film manages to portray a world of uncertainty and angst while still delivering something fun and entertaining.</p><p>This is biggest, boldest "Iron Man" yet. Marvel has kicked off Phase II of its Avengers films in grand fashion. It has everything the fans could want, and more, reminding us all why, out of all the Avengers, Iron Man remains on top.</p><p>Matthew Lucas, a former Davidson County resident, studied theater and film studies at Appalachian State University. He now resides in Banner Elk and has a blog where he posts movie news, reviews and commentary at www.fromthefrontrow.net.</p>